READ OUT LOUD. Choose which marked text you prefer to practice with - macrons in verse form, or macrons in prose order, or accent marks in prose order, or focusing on the meter. You will find materials for all of these options below. :-)
VERSE MACRONS. Here is the verse text with macrons (note the short o in amo):
Dum rigidō fodit ōre fimum, dum quaeritat escam,
Dum stupet inventā iaspide gallus, ait:"Rēs vīlī pretiōsa locō nātīque nitōris,
Hāc in sorde iacēns nīl mihi messis habēs.Sī tibi nunc esset quī dēbuit esse repertor,
Quem līmus sepelit, vīveret arte nitor.Nec tibi conveniō, nec tū mihi, nec tibi prōsum,
Nec mihi tū prōdēs, plūs amo cāra minus."Tū, gallō stolidum; tū, iaspide pulchra sophiae
Dōna notēs; stolidō nīl sapit ista seges. PROSE MACRONS. Here is the same text with macrons written out in prose word order:
Gallus, dum ōre rigidō fimum fodit, dum quaeritat escam, dum stupet, inventā iaspide, ait: Rēs pretiōsa et nātī nitōris, vīlī locō, in hāc sorde iacēns. Nīl messis mihi habēs. Sī repertor tibi nunc esset quī esse dēbuit, nitor, quem līmus sepelit, arte vīveret. Nec tibi conveniō, nec tū mihi; nec tibi prōsum, nec tū mihi prōdēs; plūs amō minus cāra. Tū, gallō, stolidum notēs; tū, iaspide, pulchra sophiae dōna; ista seges stolidō nīl sapit.
STRESS (ACCENT) MARKS. Here is the prose text with accents, plus some color-coding for the words of three or more syllables (blue: penultimate stress; red: antepenultimate stress):
Gallus, dum ore rígido fimum fodit, dum quaéritat escam, dum stupet, invénta iáspide, ait: Res pretiósa et nati nitóris, vili loco, in hac sorde iacens. Nil messis mihi habes. Si repértor tibi nunc esset qui esse débuit, nitor, quem limus sépelit, arte víveret. Nec tibi convénio, nec tu mihi; nec tibi prosum, nec tu mihi prodes; plus amo minus cara. Tu, gallo, stólidum notes; tu, iáspide, pulchra sóphiae dona; ista seges stólido nil sapit.
ELEGIAC COUPLET METER. Below I have used an interpunct dot · to indicate the metrical elements in each line, and a double line || to indicate the hemistichs of the pentameter line.
Dum rigi·dō fodit· ōre fi·mum, dum· quaeritat· escam,
Dum stupet· inven·tā || iaspide· gallus, a·it:"Rēs vī·lī preti·ōsa loc·ō nā·tīque ni·tōris,
Hāc in· sorde ia·cēns || nīl mihi· messis ha·bēs.Sī tibi· nunc es·set quī· dēbuit· esse re·pertor,
Quem lī·mus sepe·lit, || vīveret· arte ni·tor.Nec tibi· conveni·ō, nec· tū mihi,· nec tibi· prōsum,
Nec mihi· tū prō·dēs, || plūs amo· cāra mi·nus."Tū, gal·lō stoli·dum; tū,· iaspide· pulchra so·phiae
Dōna no·tēs; stoli·dō || nīl sapit· ista se·ges.IMAGE. Here is an illustration for the story (image source).
What follows is an unmarked version of the prose rendering to faciliate word searches:
Gallus, dum ore rigido fimum fodit, dum quaeritat escam, dum stupet, inventa iaspide, ait: Res pretiosa et nati nitoris, vili loco, in hac sorde iacens. Nil messis mihi habes. Si repertor tibi nunc esset qui esse debuit, nitor, quem limus sepelit, arte viveret. Nec tibi convenio, nec tu mihi; nec tibi prosum, nec tu mihi prodes; plus amo minus cara. Tu, gallo, stolidum notes; tu, iaspide, pulchra sophiae dona; ista seges stolido nil sapit.
